New chiral tricarbonyl(η6-arene)chromium(0) complexes:: synthesis and preliminary application in asymmetric catalysis

The synthesis of new enantiomerically pure tricarbonyl(eta(6)-arene)chromium(0) complexes having both planar and central chirality is reported. The procedure for their preparation involves a directed ortho-lithiation as the key step using (S)-2-methoxymethylpyrrolidine (SMP) as a suitable anchor group. The absolute configuration of the newly generated element of planar chirality was determined via chemical correlation. The potential use of the new complexes in asymmetric catalysis was briefly examined in dialkylzinc additions to ferrocenecarbaldehyde and benzaldehyde.